8 signs that your body isn’t eating enough

Learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms your body uses to tell you it’s not eating enough.

Stress, busy schedules, illness, sadness, and the busyness of daily life can take a toll on us. More specifically, our appetite and how our bodies regulate hunger. This often results in not being able to eat enough food. Additionally, many people pursuing weight loss often end up unintentionally overeating or restricting their diet in order to achieve that goal.

Whatever the cause, not eating enough and depriving your body of important nutrients can wreak havoc on your metabolism and hormones. Both can take some time to notice if you’re consistently eating less.

8 symptoms that can occur if you’re not eating enough

Let’s take a closer look at the not-so-subtle signs that your body may not be getting enough vital protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and what you can do to increase your food intake with a balanced diet.

1. Low energy

If you’ve been feeling straight-up tired for several weeks, regardless of how much you snooze or the quality of your sleep, it might be time to reevaluate your diet. If you constantly eat less, your body will not be able to properly replenish your energy supply. As a result, you may feel tired and sluggish.

This is especially common on low-carbohydrate diets. Considering starchy carbohydrates as if they were the body’s main source of fast energy, it stands to reason that restricting them could result in less-than-ideal energy levels.

Please review your usual intake, both in quantity and type. Are you eating a balanced diet that incorporates all five basic elements? Does it include starchy carbohydrates? Are you eating by listening to your body’s signals when you’re hungry? Please take a moment to think about this and see if you can make some adjustments.

2. Dizziness

Dizziness can be one of the first physical signs that you’re not eating enough. If you don’t eat enough, your blood sugar levels will drop quickly, and you may feel dizzy or faint. If you continually feel dizzy and don’t know why, reevaluate your dietary intake.

For a quick snack, eat something that contains carbohydrates and protein, such as a banana with almond butter, a handful of berries or nuts, or vegetable sticks with hummus. This combination of carbohydrates and protein helps raise and stabilize blood sugar levels and boosts energy.

However, if your dizziness persists even after making nutritional and lifestyle changes, consult your doctor to rule out the problem.

3. Decreased cognition and productivity (i.e. brain fog)

Have you ever found yourself forgetting things like, “Where did I put my keys?” It happens to everyone, but if you’re frequently feeling light-headed, it could be your body’s way of telling you to check on your nutrition (and therefore eat more food). Brain fog can be a sign of several health issues, but it’s also one of the key symptoms of not eating enough throughout the day.

Postponing lunch or interrupting your regular mealtime to attend a meeting or answer a phone call delays the energy your body needs to stay active. So if the 3pm lull hits you hard and you realize you haven’t eaten lunch, that’s your cue to head to the kitchen or grab a snack.

It’s best to fill up on natural foods as much as possible. Choose a hearty salad with plenty of fresh vegetables, sweet potatoes, avocado, grilled chicken, your favorite protein, and a delicious dressing. Foods rich in B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, and antioxidants can boost brain function and help prevent cognitive decline (1). Goodbye, brain fog.

4. Hair loss and brittle nails

It may come as a surprise, but if you’re not eating enough or getting enough nutrients, your highest priority organs will prioritize getting those nutrients. This includes your brain, heart, and lungs, not your hair, skin, or nails. The health of your hair, skin, and nails is closely related to what you eat and the amount of vitamins and minerals your body absorbs.

It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs each day. If you’re losing more hair than usual and your nails seem to be breaking more easily, you may want to focus on nourishing your hair and nails from the inside out.

Start by eating foods that help produce keratin, a protein that strengthens your hair and nails. Spinach, beans, oatmeal, salmon, eggs, and berries are all great sources of nutrients that your hair and nails will love. In particular, protein, biotin, iron, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids are the best nutrients for maintaining crop thickness, luster, and growth.

5. Feeling irritated

Hanger is a real emotion! If you’ve had a busy day and rush out of the house without having breakfast, your blood sugar levels and mood can drop significantly. Research shows that low blood sugar levels can actually cause aggression and violent behavior (2). So if you haven’t eaten anything, one of the first noticeable side effects of not eating enough food can be irritability.

The best way to prevent “hanger” is to eat regular meals and nutritious snacks. Enjoying consistent meals will help stabilize your blood sugar levels and maintain a positive mood and good energy. If you feel any signs of hunger, don’t force yourself to hold back. Listen to this, then eat or snack depending on your hunger level to keep yourself feeling your best self or your grumpy, irritable self.

6. Chilly

Do you always feel cold? In order to keep the body warm while performing other bodily functions, a significant amount of food must be consumed.

If you’re not eating enough, you may not be able to efficiently perform thermogenesis, a process that helps your body produce heat. Some studies suggest that people who follow a restricted diet have a lower body temperature than those who don’t (3).

Women who are underweight or have low body fat may also develop “downy hair” (also called downy hair) as a way for their bodies to cope with heat loss. When the body does not have enough body fat to warm itself, lanugo hair may grow to help trap heat. It is common in people with anorexia nervosa and in people who are extremely thin.

7. Persistent thirst

Ensuring you eat enough food is actually one way to manage your hydration levels. Many of the electrolytes you get from food affect your thirst. These include sodium, potassium, and magnesium. If you still feel thirsty after drinking a glass of water, that’s a red flag that you might not be eating enough calories.

In some cases, your body may mistake thirst for hunger and mistakenly steer you away from your water bottle. Don’t forget to stick to hydrating drinks like caffeine-free tea, carbonated unsweetened seltzer, or delicious ole water.

8. Amenorrhea

Amenorrhea is the scientific term for the absence of periods. Women can miss their periods for a variety of reasons, including pregnancy, dietary changes, and stress. In some cases, certain medications you take, such as birth control pills, can affect your menstrual cycle. Certain health conditions, such as hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome, can also affect your hormone levels and, in turn, your periods.

Amenorrhea can also occur if you aren’t eating enough, have low body fat, or are underweight (about 10% less than your “normal” weight), but this is different for everyone. Being underweight can stop you from ovulating and cause abnormal changes in your hormones. Therefore, women with poor eating habits and women who are high-achieving athletes often miss their periods. In some cases, the body is not supplied with enough nutrients to perform normal bodily functions.

The female athlete triad is essentially an interrelated cycle that includes decreased energy intake, amenorrhea, and decreased bone density. This is most commonly seen in athletes who are trying to maintain a certain level of “leanness” in certain sports such as figure skating, ballet, or gymnastics.

takeout

The biggest takeaway from this article is to become aware of and in tune with yourself and your body’s ability to give you signs that something may not be right. Use these eight signs and symptoms to check yourself and decide if you need to expend a little more energy.

Find freedom and balanced nutrition.

Embrace a balanced and peaceful relationship with food.